STOCKHOLM - Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul met on Tuesday with representatives and members of Turkish associations in Sweden.
Speaking in the meeting, Gul asked Turkish citizens living in foreign countries to participate in political life of those countries and integrate with the society.
Gul said, ''unfortunately, most of our citizens living in foreign countries can't make use of advantages of these developed countries as much as they should. They even isolate themselves and they can't integrate with the society they are living in. We should exert efforts to integrate with the society we are living in protecting our own identity and belief.''
There were significant developments in Turkey in the last one year, Gul noted.
Gul stated that reforms put into practice in Turkey had many repercussions in Europe and the world.
Last year's Turkey was very different from this year's Turkey thanks to the reforms, Gul said.
Gul pointed out that Turkey was more hopeful about future and there was progress that should be recorded.
''We should work very fast and determinedly in order to close the distance in the race in which Turkey has been left behind,'' Gul said.
Stating that there had been some problems in freedom of belief and expression in Turkey in the past, Gul said that all those problems would be solved within the framework of democratic standards which were a part of European Union (EU) criteria.
(BRC) 18.11.2003